


A (rare) Quiet Night

by MoF10



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alone with Thoughts, F/M, Standalone(?), Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 07:04:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16760326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoF10/pseuds/MoF10
Summary: Alphinaud fills out paperwork in his office.





	A (rare) Quiet Night

There was rarely a quiet night in the Rising Stones, but this night seemed to be doing everything in its power to make itself one of them. Alisaie had long since retired for the night, having spent the past four bells in the coils of Bahamut. F’lhaminn was absent from her usual spot behind the bar, likely being consoled by (or perhaps consoling?) Thancred. Tataru had extended her time in Kugane (she had to find _some way_ to get a return on the unintentional investment Alphinaud had made returning Gosetsu’s blade to its rightful owner was her reasoning.) Alphinaud believed that it was more likely the suave businessman Hancock keeping her there. Even the crickets seemed to have taken the night off. If it wasn’t for the soft scratching of pen to parchment, Alphinaud would have sworn that he was being held in some Garlean sensory deprivement chamber. Instead, he was trapped in a place that might be considered worse. Alphinaud was completing paperwork in his office.

His pen came to an abrupt stop. Alphinaud's mind had properly wandered away from the paperwork that he was filling in, thoughts shifting to the Warrior of Light. As per usual, she had taken off on some quest. Perhaps they were killing Morbols, exploring another dungeon, and probably getting more injured than they already were.

A sigh escaped Alphinaud’s lips as he leaned back in his old chair. Day after day, the Warrior seemed to always be off doing _something_ . It made for an oppressive working space more often than not. The rest of the scions didn’t tend to barge into the Elezen’s office as she was wont to do. The chair groaned in protest as Alphinaud leaned back a bit further. As loathe as he was to say it out loud, he _enjoyed_ the Warrior’s company much more than the company of others. Bells could pass while they chatted, the Warrior enrapturing him in one of their stories and the daily paperwork _usually_ still being done. (There had been... A frightening amount of times when Alphinaud had to enlist the Warrior’s help to fill out paperwork.)

But tonight, the bells had tolled by, the blue of the afternoon had turned to the black of night, and the only accompaniment Alphinaud had was the pen that was now taking a break in its inkpot. Echoes of conversations that he and the Warrior had shared in the office rung in his ears, and the thought that those echoes may be the only thing that he had left of the Warrior after any given quest… that possibility weighed on him more than any paperwork ever would. He hoped that the Warrior didn’t mistake the way his lips pursed when he was healing her for anger. Furthermore, Alphinaud hoped that the Warrior didn’t notice the way he tended to flush whenever they directed a comment towards him, that she somehow missed the way his breath hitched and his heart fluttered whenever they smiled.

The chair strained under Alphinaud’s weight. Someday he would have to tell her. Before one of her quests ended in something that his healing couldn’t take care of. Before something or someone took the Warrior away. He had been putting it off for too long.

The chair squeaked as Alphinaud stood up, happy to finally be free of its burden. If the Warrior could face off against primals every day, then at the very least, Alphinaud could face off against his feelings. He walked out of his office, out of the double doors… right into the Warrior who had filled his thoughts just moments ago. She looked as cheerful as always, this time with only a few scratches here and there to hint that she was just in battle. Alphinaud's breath caught for just a moment.  
“Ah! Uh… Good evening. Just who I was looking for.” he said, and the Warrior tilted her head in response. Now was the time, but what to say? The plan that had seemed so _solid_ just moments ago appeared to be falling apart.

“Would you like to join me in my office while I finish some paperwork? I do hate sitting alone with me, myself, and I.” Was what Alphinaud came up with. He silently cursed himself as he held the office door open for the Warrior.

“Of course! I was hoping you’d ask, actually... I got stuck in Halatali today. Let me tell you...“ The Warrior began, stepping inside the office that just moments ago Alphinaud had wanted to leave. Now, Alphinaud found himself following her inside. Perhaps the next time the Warrior left on another one of her quests, Alphinaud would ask to join her, and hopefully, he would find his courage along the way.

There was rarely a quiet night in the Rising Stones, and Alphinaud found that he liked it much better when they were as uncommon as they were. Alphinaud began chatting the night away with the Warrior, thankful that she was there to keep the silence at bay. And despite there being only a pair of souls in the Rising Stones, it was as lively as always.

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd. Please let me know how I can improve, and of any grammatical errors.


End file.
